House Unity
by Abbey Snape
Summary: Started writing this while bored at work one day. SSHG is most prevalent, though Hermione is married to Ron in the beginning. It has very little direction, but I'll get there someday. Maybe. Rated T because it didn't feel like a K.
1. The Boy Who Lived Miserably

CHAPTER ONE

The all-too-familiar strains of The Sweet Escape filled the store. The cashier angrily clenched his fist, thinking, '_Can't they play something else? I didn't think Gwen Stefani could get any lower after Hollaback Girl._'

The store in question was Amish Grange, and the cashier in question was a boy who lived miserably, Harry Potter. He had been a hero in his world, the wizarding world, but non-magical people didn't care about that. Harry had no college degree or high school diploma—heck, he stopped going to Muggle school when he turned eleven. So, he was stuck working at Amish Grange, a store where cheese, meat, and hundreds of bulk products were sold, with a name that never ceased to remind Harry of one of his best friends in the wizarding world, Hermione Granger.

He wondered how she was doing, she and Ron. They had gotten married a while back, after Voldemort was defeated. Right after Harry lost all the magical ability he possessed. He didn't even have the scar anymore, it had disappeared right along with his powers after Voldemort was vanquished.

An elderly couple came up with their purchases to a rousing "Woo-hoo, yee-hoo" from Akon, someone who was on Harry's "If I Could Still Use Magic, I Would Avada Kedavra These People" list.

"How are you today?" Harry asked, with the happiest voice he could muster. It wasn't very impressive, but both seemed too distracted to tell.

"Good, how are you, lad?" the woman asked.

"Just fine." '_If by just fine, I mean, I'd rather be dead than working here.'_ "Did you find everything ok today?"

His manager always told him to ask this. Harry didn't figure it made any sense. If they hadn't found everything ok, they would have asked before now. But, he and the manager didn't quite get along, so Harry did his best to do what he was told.

"Yes, we did. I think we found a little too much," the man joked. Harry had heard this too many times to find it amusing, but he faked a smile anyway.

"Yea, I know that one." '_Because I definitely shop here all the time._'

The man paid Harry with 25£, and, while counting out their change, Harry thought it was rather humorous that he'd never taken a math class since before he was a teenager. Potions was the closest thing to math, but it was more like chemistry, and he was dreadful at it anyway.

As he was handing the man "6 pounds and 23 pence" change, he heard oddly familiar voices coming from behind him to the right, where the entrance was.

"Can you imagine if I were Amish? That'd be _so_ funny," a female voice said with a great deal of gusto and amusement.

A deep, liquid smooth voice answered, "Funny… of course. That's exactly what it would be." It was obvious he thought nothing of the sort, and it was quite possible he didn't even know what being Amish meant.

Harry almost didn't want to turn around, almost picturing the chaos that would ensue if he did. He told the old couple to "have a great evening" and closed his eyes. '_Maybe they won't recognize me. It has been a few years. But anyway, why is _she_ with _him'

Harry's curiosity overtook his fear—he was still a Gryffindor at heart—and he turned to the right.

He decided against coming up with a quip about either or both of them, and simply asked, "Where's Ron?"

Hermione saw Harry before Severus did, and her eyes widened. "H-Harry… but I thought… why are you here? You said you were … you had gotten a job with the Department of M-Mysteries."

He had. He figured this would be the safest way to leave the wizarding world relatively unnoticed. A friend had started working there shortly after Voldemort's demise, and Harry asked him to run interference.

So, he was stuck. So very stuck because there was no way to lie again. He was here, with an Amish Grange apron on, and most certainly not deep in the basement of the Ministry of Magic. Rather than defending himself, Harry murmured, "No."

Hermione's fist clenched and her teeth gritted. "You lied to me… you… you… dodgy git!!"

Severus stood next to Hermione, his arm around her waist, wearing a smug, satisfied look on his face.

Harry decided it would be best to turn the tables on his friend, and yelled, "At least I'm faithful to my girlfriend!!!" He glanced down at his most hated teacher's arm around his former best friend's waist and retched a little.

Hermione's eyes misted, and Severus moved his arm down to take her hand. In a quiet voice, the one he used when getting his students' attention, he said, "Obviously you have not been in correspondence with Miss Granger, or you would know Mr. Weasley has not been entirely faithful to her."

"And that… that constitutes…" Harry trailed off. He was going to say 'cheating' but he was too shocked by what Severus had said. "Ron hasn't been faithful?"

"Not to the duties he received when he and Miss Granger married."

"Stop calling her Miss Granger. She's married to Ron," Harry said in a steely voice.

Hermione cut in, sniffling a little, "I prefer it. And you would do well not to put words into Severus's mouth."

"Oh, now he's Severus? He was the biggest arse to us in school, but now all is forgiven? He's Severus, and he's holding your hand?"

"He was there for me. He was there," she whispered, and again her eyes began to tear up.

Severus rubbed her hand with his thumb, and turned to Harry, saying, "Do you even have the decency to get her a tissue?"

Harry glared viciously, then went to the end of the counter to grab the tissue box there. He walked back and handed her one. She snatched it away, and rubbed her eyes with it, leaning her forehead against Severus's chest.

"So, while this reunion has been… oh so joyous and thrilling, I have to get back to work. So, if you'll please do whatever it was you were going to do in here, I'd greatly appreciate it," Harry spat.

Hermione angrily detached herself from Severus, stormed over to Harry, and slapped him brutally. "You are a git. A poxy git. Almost as much of a git as Ron, but I'm not quite sure if anyone can sink that low."

Harry accepted defeat, hanging his head.

Just to spite him further, though, Hermione walked over to Severus, stood on her tiptoes and kissed him fervently. Harry winced and turned away.

At that moment, probably a moment Harry would add to his worst, the manager of the store, Emmie, came over, asking, "Is there a problem here?" She was a little slow on the uptake, but she always got to the scene of a problem in enough time to embarrass Harry.

Before Harry could speak, Severus cut in, smoothly saying, "No, unless you consider making a young lady cry because of her current relationship woes a problem."

Harry winced again. This was not going to be good.

Emmie stared at Harry. "You made this poor girl cry?"

He sighed and nodded in defeat.

"Well, then, Mr.…?"

"Snape," Severus responded, opting not to correct the title she used; he wanted to come off as pleasant for a change.

"Mr. Snape, I'll see to it that Harry gets what he deserves. Would Miss…"

Hermione sniffled and said, "You can call me Hermione."

"Hermione, then, would you like some ice cream?"

She nodded. "Do you have strawberry?"

"We most certainly do!"

Emmie walked around the corner to get Hermione's ice cream, leaving the three wizards—or, rather, two wizards and one ex-wizard—standing in silence.

Harry was debating whether or not he should apologize. '_Snape will probably just insult me again if I do._'

Hermione was wrapped up in Severus's arms. He towered over her, something Hermione found rather comforting, like a guardian angel. She giggled to herself, '_Maybe not an angel._'

Emmie came over a moment later, piercing the silence by saying, "Here you go, Hermione, you enjoy. Mr. Snape, thank you for informing me of Harry's wrong doing. You have a pleasant day."

Severus nodded, and led Hermione out the door.

"Now, Harry, whatever shall we do with you?" Emmie mused, planning his punishment.

Harry said nothing, but knew that bathroom cleaning and floor scrubbing were in his near future.


	2. Levels of Anger

CHAPTER TWO

Severus and Hermione had been walking in silence for quite some time before either of them spoke. She was biting at the ice cream cone when he started rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand. She knew that meant he wanted to say something, so she looked up in anticipation.

"I apologize for what you had to go through just now," he said quietly. "I suppose I should have mentioned the downside to being in a relationship with me."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, taking another bite of the cone.

"You believe I'm a good person, a fact of which I am always grateful. But not everyone is like you. You can't expect Harry, who probably still thinks of me as a greasy old git with no capacity for good nature, to believe the same way you do. If you wish to continue our…rather intimate situation, be prepared to receive ridicule. "

"Not like I haven't been ridiculed enough in my life," she said, then cleared her throat, "_you_ show know that." She grinned and he averted his eyes. "Anyway, if someone wants to believe you're a soddy git, let them, they're missing out. I know who you are and that's really all that matters, isn't it?"

Severus nodded. "Very well, then." He waited a moment before he spoke again. "There's something else we need to talk about." Hermione raised her eyebrows, telling him to continue. "When are you going to clue Mr. Weasley in about our...relationship?"

Hermione mumbled something about telling him she was "visiting her parents," but Severus just shook his head. "Really, Hermione. As much as I hate him for how he's treated you, I believe he has a right to know."

"Yes, I suppose so…" Hermione replied, sucking ice cream out of the bottom of the cone. "I'll… uh… I… I don't know how."

"Oh, we must remember this occasion. Insufferable little know-it-all doesn't know what to do," the tall, dark man teased. She slapped him on the arm.

"You are no help."

His mouth quirked up into something of a smile, and he inquired, "How about we get some lunch and discuss our situation more comfortably?"

"That sounds suitable," she said, then, looking at her ice cream cone, added, "I always did like eating dessert before a meal."

They walked down a few blocks to Da Genarro, a nice little Italian restaurant with, as Hermione put it, "the best pizza you can imagine."

Hermione and Severus were seated promptly, and ordered their drinks—a Coke for Hermione and mineral water for Severus. When the waitress came back with their drinks, the two were bickering over which pizza to get.

"Sevvy! Trust me, the Gennarino pizza is to die for," Hermione challenged. The pizza she mentioned was topped with tomato, mozzarella, mushrooms, ham, onions, peppers, Italian sausage, and fresh egg.

"First of all, never… call me that name again," he threatened.

"What, Sevvy? Sevvy, Sevvy, Sevvy! It's so much happier than Severus."

"Thank you for mocking my name, and you know I'm not a particularly happy person a great deal of the time," he countered, then said, "Now, I don't know what's wrong with a perfect normal Margherita pizza." All this had on it was tomato and mozzarella.

"Honestly, Sevvy, you're so boring," Hermione taunted.

The waitress quickly jumped in before Severus could say anything, asking, "Would you like me to come back in a few minutes?"

"Yes, that would be splendid," Severus replied. She hurried away to help one of her other tables.

"Gennarino," Hermione said quickly.

"Margherita."

"_Gennarino_."

"No."

"Yes."

"_No_," he pressed, his voice sinking down to a whisper.

"Can we compromise?"

"And how, perchance, are we going to do that?"

"Um, we could… get it… Sev, _why_ don't you want the Gennarino pizza?"

"It sounds simply dreadful. Who puts that many different foods on a pizza? Simple is better."

"More is tastier!"

"Good things come in small packages," he countered.

"You are so impossible!" she complained.

He smirked. "Are you just figuring that out?"

She glared at him. "Ok, do you like mushrooms?"

"Not particularly."

"Ham?"

"It's… decent, I suppose."

"Onions?"

"Heavens no."

"Peppers," she continued.

"Tolerable."

"Italian sausage."

"If there's no ham."

"Egg. _Fresh_ egg."

"I can't fathom anyone would like egg on a pizza. Dreadful."

"Ok, so can we get a pizza with ham or Italian sausage and peppers?"

"We might as well just get the Margherita pizza," he said stubbornly.

Hermione sighed. "What about… the Quattro Formaggi?" This, as its name suggested, had four cheeses: mozzarella, gorgonzola, parmesan, and cheddar.

Severus looked at his menu to see what was on it, and Hermione smiled at the expression he wore while he was reading. He looked up with his eyes, and asked, "Whatever are you smiling at?"

"Nothing," Hermione said innocently. "Just you."

He shook his head, and closed the menu. "You are a strange girl. But, your new choice of pizza is suitable."

Hermione smiled contentedly and took a sip of Coke. "Good."

Severus stared at the young woman across the table from him. He still found it hard to figure why Hermione liked him, or even loved him. He felt heat rising in his face, so he took a long sip of water.

The waitress came over and asked, "Have you decided yet?"

Severus spoke up. "Yes, we have, we'd like to get the Quattro Formaggi, please."

She nodded and said, "It will be ready in about fifteen or twenty minutes. Would either of you like a refill?"

They both shook their heads, and she continued, "Ok, I'll take your menus, then." She did so, and shuffled off to the kitchen.

Hermione had put her hands on the table, and was now picking at them; it was a habit Severus had recently learned about. He reached across the table and took one of her hands, holding it in the middle of the table. "Don't do that."

"Sorry…"

She took his hand and turned it palm up, rubbing his calluses softly. Her wedding band shone on her finger, and she stared at it guiltily. Hurriedly, she took back her hand, and took it off, putting it in her pocket.

"Sorry," she said again.

He shook his head quickly. "Don't be sorry."

For the third time that day, Hermione's eyes hazed over with tears. Severus reacted quickly. "Hermione, dear, please don't…" he implored, and dried her tears with his napkin.

Through her tears, she smiled. "Did you just call me dear?"

Severus cleared his throat, and tried to cover. "No, I said… cheer…"

She let him off easily, as she figured it was defeat enough to him that he had no good defence. He took a sip of water, and promptly changed the subject. "There was a reason we came here in the first place, which was to discuss your… predicament comfortably. Are you comfortable?"

'_I'd be more comfortable with your arms around me, but…_' "Yes, I'm quite content."

"Well then. I'll start, since I presume you won't," he began, then took another sip of water before continuing. "You are married to Mr. Weasley. Quite unhappily. You gallivant with me. Quite happily, though I can't suppose why. Mr. Weasley is unaware of the happier part of your life, as he is a right git and too focused on the unlikely goal of becoming a Quidditch player. Correct so far?"

Hermione giggled and nodded. "Correct, Master Snape!"

He shook his head and continued. "Now you are in the lovely situation of having to inform him of this, and you are stuck, for once, without an answer, and without a book to find an answer."

"I hate you sometimes, you know that?"

"Quite aware. But you hate me less times than everyone else hates me, so all is forgiven." His mouth twitched into a half-smile, then he forged on. "At any rate, you need my sage advice. And I will give you two options: You tell him, with no mention of my name, that you don't love him, and he doesn't deserve you. Which he doesn't. Or, you flounce in excitedly, say, 'I'm in love with the teacher you hated most in school, and I'm running away with him.' I personally would suggest the first as a realistic choice, but if you opt to use the second, you must capture an image of his reaction."

Hermione had gone into a laughing fit around the middle of Severus's second suggestion, and was now attempting to breathe and respond. "I tend to agree with the first being more realistic," she said breathlessly.

He loved her laugh, so much that he had developed a pretty decent ability to say humourous things.

"Well, then, problem solved?"

"To an extent, I suppose. It's one thing to figure out what one is going to say. It's a wholly different thing to actually say it."

He was nodding in agreement when the waitress brought their pizza and two plates out. It was steaming, the cheese still gooey, and the crust crispy.

"Mm, this looks delicious, thanks so much," Hermione said.

The waitress smiled and asked, "Is there anything I can get you?"

"I'd like some more water please," Severus said. "Hermione, more soda?"

Hermione shook her head. The waitress nodded. "I'll have your water out in just a moment."

Severus handed Hermione a plate with two slices of pizza on it, then gave himself two slices as well. Hermione stared at her. "I think it's too hot to eat."

"Yes," Severus agreed. They got quiet, both staring at the sizzling pizza.

Finally, Hermione spoke. "How are things at Hogwarts?"

"Oh, you know."

"Except I don't, or I wouldn't have asked."

"Maybe you're just trying to pass the time before the pizza cools down."

"Maybe you're a prat."

"Maybe you're an ear basher."

Hermione glared at him. "How are things at Hogwarts?"

"Oh, you know," he repeated, then, at the continued glare he was receiving, said, "Everyone hates my House, everyone loves your House, and Dumbledore is a nutter. I suppose it's better than when your lot was there, though, no Potters or Weasleys." Ginny, the last of the Weasleys, had finished four years ago, and none of the next generation of Weasleys were old enough yet.

"Mm," Hermione responded elusively. "Anyone like me?"

'_No one is like you._' "There is one boy who quite likes to read, but he could never match your… brain capacity."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"It was meant to be." Severus picked up a slice of pizza, and bit into it delicately. He decided it was cool enough to eat, and took a larger bite.

"Is the pizza ok now?" Hermione asked, eyeing it cautiously.

"Yes, but it's still rather warm."

She picked up a piece and bit into it. "Ahh, this is delicious. Maybe not as delicious as Gennarino, but, it's pleasant."

He rolled his eyes and said, "You are the only person I know who would call a piece of pizza 'pleasant.'"

"I'm one of a kind, I know," she smirked, taking another bite.

While he ate, Severus watched Hermione from under his eyelids. He never figured he'd think this about anyone, but, she looked so darned cute when she ate. He smiled slightly.

"Whatever are you smiling at?" Hermione asked, glad to turn the tables on him.

"Nothing. Just you," he countered. She grinned widely, then began on her second slice of pizza.

In about ten minutes, the pizza was gone, and Hermione was taking a small sip of Coke.

"How are you able to have just one glass of soda with an entire meal?" Severus asked.

"I'm just that amazing, I guess."

"Yes. You are."

She blushed slightly, and took another sip. When their waitress came back over, Severus said, "Could we get a piece of tiramisu, perhaps?"

"Certainly," the waitress said, picking up the plates. "One plate or two?"

"One is fine."

"It'll be ready in a moment."

"Thank you."

There was a pause, then Hermione said, "What prompted you to do that?"

"Um… a surge of cheeriness?"

"Mm, well then, you need to have those more often. Tiramisu is amazing."

"That it is."

The waitress brought the dessert out, along with the check. "Thank you, you two have a lovely day."

"Thank you," Hermione and Severus said at the same time. The waitress smiled and walked away.

They each picked up a spoon, and took a bite. "Mm, this is fantastic," Hermione approved.

"That it is…"

The two wizards inhaled the rest of the tiramisu until there was only one bite left.

"All for you, Hermione."

"No, no, I insist, you eat it, Sev."

He challenged her with his eyes, and she gave in. "Ok," she sighed, and ate it. She leaned across the table and kissed him. He welcomed it greatly, setting his hand on the back of her head. After a moment, she broke off, and murmured, "To be continued."

She bit her lip, and Severus stared at her for a second before picking up the bill. He set it back down with a 20£ note, and stood up, offering Hermione his hand. She took it, and they walked out into the bright sunshine, not knowing what the day would bring them.

* * *

Ron paced around the living room, wondering where Hermione was. He was murmuring to himself. "Where the hell does she always get off to?" he wondered angrily. "Barely tells me where she's going, never tells me if she's coming back. I wish I could call her parents right up and ask if she's there." Then he realized he could. He looked around and spotted their cell phone on the table; Hermione had just taught him how to use it.

Looking through the address book, he found the number for Hermione's parents and called it.

"Hello?" a female voice answered.

"Lynette, hi, it's Ron," he said into the slim, silver phone.

"Oh, hello, Ron, how are you doing?"

"Fine. Is Hermione there?"

"Hermione? We haven't seen her since the time you both came over. Is everything ok?"

"She said she was going to see you today."

"Oh, she probably got caught up in a bookstore or something. You know her. I'll call back if she comes."

"Ok."

" Don't worry too much, Ron, she's pretty self-sufficient."

"Yea, yea. Well, 'bye."

"Goodbye."

He clicked the phone off and wondered where Hermione was.


	3. Hermione's Struggle

CHAPTER THREE

Hermione and Severus reached the outskirts of Surrey around four in the afternoon. Hermione had the idea of going to visit Hogwarts, but they needed to Disapparate, and figured it wasn't it a good idea to disappear in the middle of the city.

"Sev, I have an idea."

"Yes, I know, we're going to Disapparate to Hogwarts."

"No, no, another idea."

"It's amazing how quickly your brain works."

She grinned widely and said, "I'm quite curious what would happen if we went while, uh, kissing."

"Strike what I said before, and replace it with: It's amazing the _ideas_ you come up with."

She was still grinning. He walked closer to her, and said, "Let's find out."

They closed their eyes, kissed, and pictured the Apparition Point outside of Hogwarts. They were forced tightly together as they traveled, but both reached the point in one piece, still pressed together. Severus pulled back, and eyed Hermione. "I've now come to figure that your genius is unparalleled."

Hermione smiled softly and took Severus's hand. "Let's go… let's go to Slytherin's common room."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why, may I ask?"

"It's one of the few places I haven't been in Hogwarts. And I rather like the colour green over red…"

"Ah. Where else haven't you been?" he asked as they started walking towards the school.

"Um, well, the other common rooms, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. All of the teachers rooms," at this she blushed slightly, "though I've been in all of their offices. And… yea. That's about it."

"Mm," he replied simply. "And how do you know you haven't missed a spot?"

It was her turn to raise an eyebrow. "Are you trying to prod information out of me?"

"Oh, heaven forbid," he scoffed. "You no longer go to this school, nor do Harry or any of the Weasleys."

Hermione could tell he had known about the Marauder's Map, he just couldn't prove it at the time, but she told him about it anyway. "I'm sure, because we used the Map a lot."

"And by we, I greatly hope you mean Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley."

"Mostly, yes. I looked at it once or twice. It was rather fascinating."

"Indeed."

"Are you not going to… uh…" Hermione started, then trailed off. Like Severus had said, she wasn't a student anymore, he couldn't punish her.

"What, punish you? Not particularly, unless you enjoy gutting dead animals, then by all means, I'll allow you."

"That's just fine. The dead animals can continue sitting in jars for all I care."

Severus smirked and squeezed Hermione's hand.

"Sev?"

"Yes, Hermione?"

"I also want to apologise for setting your robes on fire in my first year. And for taking some of your ingredients in my second year. And for being obnoxious at times."

He looked at her. "Apology accepted, and you are forgiven. You weren't obnoxious though."

"Yes, I was."

There was a pause, then he said, "Ok, you were. But you've greatly made up for it in the past five years. I'd also like to apologise for that quip about your teeth."

Hermione blushed and squeezed his hand. "I forgive you. They were rather large…"

"Oh, you don't have to indulge me."

She shrugged. They had reached the front door by this point, and Severus opened the door for Hermione. She walked in, still holding his hand. Their clothes changed back to their wizarding attire. He led her downstairs to the Slytherin common room, and spoke the password.

They went in, and Hermione surveyed the room. It was very cold-looking, with touches of green around the room. After standing still for a moment, she shivered involuntarily; it felt cold, too.

"Are you ok?"

"J-just fine," she said, voice quavering in the cold.

"Ridiculous girl," he muttered, taking his cloak off and wrapping it around her. They sat down in a comfortable couch, and Hermione leaned her head onto Severus's shoulder. He looked down at her, raising an eyebrow, then wrapped his arm around her, settling his hand on her hair. He rubbed it gently and Hermione closed her eyes.

"Sleepy…" she whispered.

"Go to sleep, then."

"Don't want to leave you without company."

"It won't be much different for me than a day without you."

Hermione yawned. "You're so… so kind…"

With that, she had drifted off to sleep. Severus couldn't believe how far he had come with Hermione. Granted, he was helping her cheat, but he never felt that way. He felt right with her, and hoped she felt the same.

He kissed her on top of the head, then leaned back, closing his eyes to take a nap as well.

Hermione woke first, a few hours later. She looked up at Severus and kissed him on the cheek. His eyes fluttered open. "Hermione," he muttered. "You're awake."

"You are too," she said, grinning. He smiled groggily, and kissed her back.

After he had woken up a bit, he said, "Can you move over a bit? My right side is numb."

Hermione giggled and moved over. She realized she was still wearing Severus's cloak, and smiled, wrapping it tighter around herself. Severus watched her with fondness, and leaned over to kiss her again.

When he did, she kissed him back, scooting closer to him until she was practically on his lap. They made out like teenagers for a while, and ended up lying down, Hermione on top of Severus. When they stopped kissing, Hermione wrapped her arms around him, and rested her head on his chest.

"Sev?" whispered Hermione.

"Mm?"

"I… I love you." She turned her head to rest her chin on his chest, so she could look at him.

He gazed at her for a moment, then began playing her hair. Hemrione took his silence to mean he didn't feel the same way, and she bit her lip. Upon seeing her distraught expression, he looked at her thoughtfully and said, "Hermione, love isn't... isn't someting I am accustomed to. I don't know if I've ever felt it, but if I have, it has been with you. When I know, I will say it, but for the present, know that I feel deeply for you."

She nodded and kissed his chest, laying her head back down. Just then, an unexpected, unwelcome picture popped into Hermione's head: Ron. She started to cry a little, though silently so Severus couldn't tell.

After a while, though, he could tell. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing."

He patted her on the back and began to sit up. She curled up next to him, and he put his arm around her. "You're a dreadful liar."

"It's just… Ron… he doesn't know."

"But he will."

"I don't know how to do this though. I don't know how to tell him. What if he still loves me, Sev? I think he does, he just doesn't show it. I'll break his heart…"

"He's broken yours," Severus said, attempting to console her.

"Y-yes… but…"

"But what?"

"I don't know."

Severus sighed. "Ok, you go back to him tonight. Don't worry about telling him. And don't think about me. Then, tomorrow… well, tomorrow, you can tell him."

"But how?" she pleaded. Severus was aware of how young Hermione suddenly seemed. How vulnerable.

"In whatever way you feel is best. You can mention me, or not. You can tell him all the reasons, or just some of the reasons. Use your brain. You're one of the most rational people I've met, and the only time that goes away is when you get too emotional."

Hermione absorbed this thought, then nodded. "Ok. That sounds… feasible."

"So, for now, you should probably go home. I'll walk you down to the Apparition Point."

In mere minutes, Hermione had kissed Severus goodbye and Disapparated to a vacant spot near her home. It suddenly occurred to her that Ron could have called her parents. She rushed to a bookstore nearby to buy a couple books she'd been wanting anyway, then walked home.

When she entered, she found Ron entrenched in a book about Quidditch—she sighed.

Without looking up, he asked, "Where have you been all day?"

She hoped he didn't hear her breath catch. "I spent the day in the bookstore," she lied.

"Mm… have you eaten?"

"Yeah, I got a pizza at Da Genarro." Well, that wasn't a lie, at least.

"Any leftover?"

"No. Have you eaten?"

"A little… we don't have much in the pantry… or the fridge."

Hermione sighed. '_He could at least get some groceries._' "Oh, ok. You want something?"

"No thanks."

"Ok," she said, and walked over, sliding in next to him. "What are you reading?"

"The Practical Application of Quidditch."

"Is it good?"

"Mm," he confirmed. As he finished the chapter, he closed a marker in his spot. Suddenly, he said, "I'm going to bed."

It's only seven."

"I'm tired."

"From what? Doing nothing all day?" she spat angrily.

He scowled at her and stormed to their bedroom. Hermione scooted to the corner of the couch and pulled her lugs up so her chin rested on her knees. Tears filled her eyes and she suddenly had the need to be wrapped in Severus's arms again. '_Soon_,' she thought. '_It could all be over tomorrow._'

She took out one of the books she'd bought—Potions from the Garden—and searched for something that would make it easier for her to tell Ron… well, what she needed to tell him.

"Truth Potion… no. Detachment Potion, definitely not…" she murmured to herself, flipping quickly through the pages and reading only the names. "Hmm, Relaxer. That might work."

She read the ingredients, found she had them all, and promptly began brewing. The potion was finished by ten o'clock, and Hermione went to check on Ron after bottling it. He was fast asleep, so she decided to make a Floo call to Severus.

She cast a Muffliato Spell so Ron wouldn't wake up. She kneeled on the ground and threw some Floo powder into the fire. It the flames turned green, and she put her head in, yelling, "Severus Snape's office!"

"Sev?" Hermione said cautiously, a moment later.

Severus had been grading papers when he heard her voice. He walked over to the fire. "What is it Hermione? Are you ok?" He almost sounded desperate.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just wanted to talk to you." Upon hearing Severus's quick intake of breath, she added, "Ron's asleep and he won't hear us."

'_Ah the wonders of Muffliato_,' Severus thought. "Ok."

Hermione stared at him. "I miss you," she said.

"Hermione, it's hard to miss someone you're talking to.

She sighed. "I mean, I wish I was with you."

"Me too. Are you ready to tell Ron?"

"I think so. I made a Relaxer, so I'm going to take that before."

"Don't take too much, though, you'll go all wobbly and stupid. Half a teaspoon should suffice."

"Thanks."

Severus stared at her fiery face, wishing he could kiss her. There was a pause, then Hermione said, "Sev, when's the next time I can see you?"

'_Not soon enough_,' he thought. "I don't know. It depends on how tomorrow goes."

"Yeah."

"Hermione?"

She raised her eyebrows. "Yes?"

"Our relationship should probably remain… unknown until everything is sorted out with Mr. Weasley."

Her face dropped. "But, Severus…" she pleaded.

"No begging. It would be rather disgraceful to both our names if anyone found out. I need to remain a professor here and you need to finish Auror training without disruption."

Hermione said nothing; she knew he was right. If it appeared Severus had caused the split, his colleagues may no longer respect him. They'd have to wait, and come up wit ha reason for their relationship.

She sighed and said, "I miss you so much."

"I miss you too."

"I'd better go though."

"Ok."

"You don't have to say anything, but, I love you, Severus."

He nodded. Both pretended to feel a goodbye kiss, then Hermione stepped back from the fireplace, leaving Severus staring at it sadly.

Hermione lifted the charm and walked back over to the couch. She stretched out across it and hugged a pillow close to her. Quietly, she cried herself to sleep.


	4. Struggles and Successes

CHAPTER FOUR

"Harry, what's wrong?" asked Chelsea, his girlfriend. Harry had been distant for the entire meal.

"Just… ran into some old… an old friend today." '_And an enemy_,' he thought.

"Oh, ok."

"It was just… never mind."

She didn't know he had been the saviour of the wizarding world. When she asked him where he'd gone to high school, he told her it was a small boarding school no one had ever heard of.

Since she wasn't particularly inquisitive—something Harry liked about her quite a lot—that had been explanation enough.

Harry took another bite of his sandwich, and thought back, for the millionth time, on his encounter today. His punishment had been just what he expected—but he'd done it so many times, he didn't really care. The real punishment had been thinking about _why_ he'd been punished in the first place.

He made Hermione cry. But was that really Hermione? That girl that was with Snape, being completely uncommitted to her husband. Neither had really explained how Ron hadn't been faithful, so he didn't even know if he could believe that.

This was what Harry was thinking about. This was what was wrong. His whole life. The fact that he was glad his girlfriend wasn't inquisitive. He had been inquisitive before, to the point of recklessness, along with Ron and Hermione. The fact that no one knew who he was. Not that he particularly missed the fame, but he missed his friends, even his enemies—just people who knew him, what he could and couldn't do. The fact that he would be like this for the rest of his life. Normal. But not quite so normal, since he still had the taste of what a better, easier, happier life would have been.

The fact that he couldn't tell Chelsea any of this, and that she was probably the best he was going to get. She was quite striking: long golden hair and shining green eyes that almost matched his. He didn't think he could ask for a more attractive person. But, she was so… not magical. So Muggle. So mundane.

He began to wonder, for the first time, if maybe Hermione wasn't crazy. If something really was going wrong between her and Ron. '_But I really don't understand why she'd be with Snape_,' he thought, still disgusted. His mind drifted back to their days at Hogwarts together. Hermione had always been the sensible one. And very rarely had she been wrong about anything. He didn't want to, but he knew he'd have to trust her, which meant accepting the fact that his former best friend had been a complete git and somehow been unfaithful to his wife, who had, too, been his best friend at some point. And it meant that he'd have to accept the fact that the teacher he had hated most during school might not be a complete bastard after all.

Harry sighed. "Chels?"

"Yeah?" she asked, looking up from her plate.

"Thanks," he said, "for never asking questions."

"You're welcome?" she responded uncertainly.

"Wait, I'm not done," he said. "You should have been asking questions. There's so much you don't know about me, and I think it's time that you knew. C'mon." He led her outside and she fell in step beside him as he began to tell her everything he could remember about what his life had once been.

* * *

Hermione woke up early, suddenly, realizing she had been sleeping on the couch, and that she was very cold. She heard bustling in the kitchen, and groggily walked in.

"Ron?" she murmured.

"G'morning. Did I wake you?"

"Um, I don't think. Did you turn the air conditioning up?"

"Yea, a bit, it was burning up."

Hermione frowned. "Then you did wake me up. It's so cold."

"Sorry," he said, finally turning to her. She didn't know why she expected him to apologise, or at least bring up their brief argument last night. She knew he wouldn't.

Deciding not to dwell on it first thing in the morning—well, maybe not first thing, it was nearing eleven—she grabbed her wand and pointed it at various things in the kitchen. There was a sudden burst of movement, and then, a bowl of cereal was ready for her to eat. She sat down in the dining room and called, "Ron, are you going to sit down or are you just going to stand in there all day?"

There was a pause of deadly silence, then Ron appeared in the door frame, and joined Hermione at the table. The silence got no better, until finally, Hermione said, "Are you going to say anything?"

"I'm waking up."

"You're already awake, and you went to bed at seven last night, so there is no way you were even tired when you woke up."

"Oh, so I suppose you're never tired when you wake up, even when you've gotten enough sleep," he accused.

Hermione stared at him. "When did you wake up?"

"Just fifteen minutes ago."

She stared at him intensely, then said, "You're lying. You got up at nine."

"Sometimes I wish you hadn't decided to be an Auror."

"Maybe if you'd learn something about something other than Quidditch once in a while, I wouldn't be able to read your thoughts so easily," she shot back at him.

He winced, as if she had just hit him rather hard. Then, he stood up, and walked to the living room. Hermione sighed, her brows furrowing. It shouldn't be so hard to tell him. She just didn't know when would be a good time to bring it up. '_Never, really. It's never a good time to tell your husband you aren't in love with him anymore, and are going to leave him because he has no prospects and no appreciation for what you do_.'

She followed him into the living room, and sat down next to him on the sofa. "Ron, I'm sorry." '_Not really_.'

"Sod off."

She rose in a great deal of anger, and slapped him viciously. "You are ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. I didn't know how to tell you this before, but now I'm just going to say it. You… are a git. All you do is read about Quidditch and brown nose your boss in hopes he'll promote you to a higher position in your division. You don't care about anything important. You seem uninterested in starting a family, and uninterested in me. And I can't _take_ it anymore, Ron," she exclaimed, tears streaming down her face. "I can't TAKE IT, and I can't take YOU, and I never want to see you or your stupid Quidditch books or your…your indifference!"

And with that, she flew upstairs, and packed as much as she could in as little time possible, and left, leaving Ron staring after her in partial confusion and partial shock.

Hermione walked joyously down the street to a vacant spot, and Disapparated, luggage in tow, to Hogsmeade. She pulled her hood up, and walked into The Three Broomsticks, taking a seat in the corner, away from watchful eyes.

Madam Rosmerta walked over to her, and whispered, "Hermione, is that you?"

"Yes, Rosmerta," she replied. "Can I get a butterbeer, please?"

Rosmerta nodded, then said, "You seem happier than… than usual."

"I am."

Rosmerta smiled and sauntered off to get Hermione's butterbeer. Hermione wondered if she could get Severus's attention somehow. It was a Sunday, and he was probably grading papers. She chuckled at the thought of his red ink scratched all over the students' papers, commenting on their poor writing ability or sheer lack of intelligence. What had been entirely irritating to her as a student she now found rather comical, though she still pitied his students.

A moment later, Rosmerta brought Hermione's butterbeer over, and said, "Here you go, Hermione. Is there anything else I can get you?"

"Actually, I'm curious, is there any way you can contact Professor Snape?" Hermione whispered.

"I can Floo call him, if you'd like."

"Oh, really? That would be tremendous."

The landlady smiled knowingly and said, "I'll go right now."

Hermione sipped on her butterbeer, grinning in silent anticipation. She wondered what was taking Rosmerta so long, though it really had only been a couple minutes.

After five or so minutes, the woman came back, and said, "The professor told me he could not leave just at the moment, but that a dungeon, two left turns, and kittens will help you see him."

The younger woman responded, "Oh. Um, ok. Shall I just leave the money on the table when I go?"

"That's fine. It was nice to see you again, Hermione."

"Likewise, Rosmerta. Have a nice day."

Hermione drained the rest of her drink and left more than enough money on the table to pay for it—after all, Rosmerta had done enough to merit a large tip. She walked out into crisp autumn air, and took the short journey to Hogwarts.


	5. Discoveries, last sentences added

CHAPTER FIVE

On the way, she was trying to figure out what was obviously a sneaky hint Severus had given. "The first part is easy enough, but, kittens. He hates kittens. He obviously doesn't want a kitten, and a kitten wouldn't… explain to me what the heck he's talking about. Oh, I could just hex him right now," she said, gripping her wand as if she were about to do just that.

She had gotten no further in deciphering his message when she reached the school. Sighing, she walked towards a staircase that led to the dungeons. When she got downstairs, she took two left turns. "Easy part, over. I suppose. Where am I?"

Hermione looked around in confusion. She was in some sort of back hallway, and was getting very cold, as usual. She squinted at the slab of stone in front of her. It was smooth except for a few markings.

She placed a hand on the wall, and ran her hand across it. "Kittens," she said simply. Nothing happened. She ran her hand across the other way. "Kittens?" she questioned. Still nothing.

"Maybe I took the wrong left." She retraced her steps back to the first place she'd ended up in the dungeons.

"Hmm…" She turned to her left, then immediately turned to the left again, so she was facing a wall that had just been beside her. "Kittens."

A crack appeared in the wall, no, two, three cracks, in the shape of… a door. Hermione sighed. She pushed it gently, and it swung open with surprising ease. "Severus?"

"Do come in," he said, a smug tone to his voice. She did, and found that she was in his living quarters.

Blushing slightly at this fact, she said, "If I wasn't so happy to see you right now, I would hex you to tomorrow."

"I'm shuddering," he said calmly. Hermione glared at him playfully, then dropped her bags and ran over to him. He stood up and slid out from behind his desk to welcome her.

She jumped into his arms and kissed his cheek. "I did it…" she whispered.

"Do tell."

"Um, he was being exceptionally git-y, and I just went off on him and told him I never wanted to see him again."

"I told you," he said, a smile in his voice.

"You told me what?"

"That you could do it with no problem. Did you even use your Relaxer?"

"No. And I guess you did."

He raised his eyebrow. "You guess?"

"Ok, you did tell me so. Thank you so much, Sevvy, I love you forever and ever!"

Severus closed his eyes and said, "Don't make me use my new potion on you."

"Aw, did my Sevvy make a potion? He is so, so smart!"

The Potions Master's face remained neutral. "The potion I have … concocted … is something I think I'll call Shutter."

"Shutter? That makes entirely no sense."

"Oh, but it does," he countered. "If you draw the syllables out… shut... _her_."

Hermione's eyes widened. "You wouldn't!"

"But I would. So you best decide not to call me… that dreadful name again."

She decided to test his patience. "Which dreadful name?"

"I'm not going to say it," he said with disgust in his voice.

"Oh, then I'll just have to say it. Sevvy? Is that the one? Sevvy, I really do think it's a fine nickname. Perky. Just like… me!"

"Shut… _her_… that's all I'll say. And it is a rather clear liquid. Meaning I can quite easily… slip some into your drink. And, if it works properly, you will be silent within the minute."

Hermione bit her lip. "Sorry," she said, and sank down to her regular height.

Severus laid a hand on her chin and lifted it up. "No need," he said, and leaned over to kiss her. Slowly, she opened her mouth to his advances and pulled him closer. Her vocal chords let out an instinctive moan, and she felt him slowly moving her towards the closest wall.

She fell against it softly, shivering a little against the cold stone. Severus broke off and whispered, "You're always so cold."

Hermione nodded. "I don't mind, though, as long as you can keep me warm."

He wrapped his arms around her. "My pleasure."

She let her hands fall slowly down his sides until they rested in his larger hands. Their fingers intertwined, and he kissed the back of her hand.

"Sev?"

"What is it?"

"I… I don't know where to stay."

His dark brows creased as he thought about this. "We didn't quite discuss that, did we?"

"No… I was… I mean… I was wondering…" she stammered.

"If you could stay here?" he offered.

Hermione bit her bottom lip and nodded. "I mean… I know you said no one can know… but we can always… uh, make me invisible, or something, when I leave. Can't we?"

"You are rather… small. It shouldn't be terribly difficult to cast an Invisibility Charm on you…"

She looked up at him hopefully, her eyes pleading him to comply. He looked down at her, taken by her imploring gaze. "I suppose we can work that out."

Her face exploded into a huge grin and she hugged him forcefully, so much that he let out a small 'oof.' He wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back gently. He wouldn't tell her, but ever since she had arrived, he'd hope the topic of her living situation would come up. Inside, he was smiling as big as the woman in his arms.

"So, care to show me around, roomie?" she jested, looking up at him eagerly.

"Whatever you wish," he said. He took her by the hand, and began to show her around. Pointing directly in front of him, he said, "If you haven't assumed this already, this is my desk."

Then he pointed to the right. "Over there… well, there are a lot of books. Which desperately need organizing," he hinted. She chuckled.

He led her off to the left, "More books over there, but over here is my bed," they walked into the bedroom, and Hermione saw a king size bed with deep green sheets, and a dark wood headboard, "and through this door is the bathroom." It had a fancy marble sink and a porcelain tub with, Hermione counted quickly, ten different knobs?

"Why on Earth do you have so many knobs for your bathtub?"

He narrowed his eyes, pursed his lips, and gave her a look of utter chagrin. "It was not my doing, and the only ones I ever use are on, off, hot, and cold."

"That doesn't really answer my question," Hermione pointed out.

"Well, fine then." He walked over to the tub and sat down on the edge. "I am merely going to recite what Dumbledore so exuberantly told me when I came here, though with less exuberance."

He started on the left. "This is the knob to turn the water off or on. Pull it out to turn it on, and, in case you're stupider than you've let on, push it in to turn it off. The next is to control the temperature, in the middle is neutral, to the left is cold and to the right is hot."

He sighed; this was where it got obnoxious. "Continuing on, we have freesia, lavender, raspberry, citrus, and chocolate scented lathers. Then, as if it couldn't get more mortifying, we have rose petals, lit candles, and, strangely enough," he said, gesturing to the last knob, which looked rather like a spigot than a knob, "a coffee maker."

Hermione smiled; she could sense how terribly painful that was for him to recite. She sashayed over to him, and began to rub his shoulders. "Why are you so tense?" she asked reflexively.

"Need you ask, really?"

She feigned thinking about it, then said, "Yes. I mean the question as… what in particular is making you tense right now?"

"Oh, the general absurdity of the world," he said vaguely.

"Sev…"

"I just had a bad day. My seventh-year class was brewing the Draught of Peace. Which was a terrible idea on my part—they're really not proficient brewers. Then the third-year classes were all brewing Shrinking Solution, and I'm sad to say most of my students in those classes are even more dreadful than Neville."

He waited a moment for Hermione to yell at him, but she simply said, "Wow. Go on." She knew Neville was awful at making Potions, and didn't really want to get in an argument.

"And, of course, the Forgetfulness Potion, I can pretty much sense the first years talking behind my back about how much of a git I am. The rest of the classes are ok, just the normal mediocre talent, but the bad makes it harder to focus on the good."

Hermione nodded. "I could never be a teacher, I don't think."

Severus smirked and said, "You'd probably just get mad that everyone didn't read their books five times over before the start of term."

She smacked him playfully, then kissed the top of his head. "Probably so."

Her hands were still resting on his shoulders, and she mechanically started rubbing them. When she moved lower, to the middle of his back, she found a huge knot. "Sev! Doesn't this hurt?"

"Oh, not terribly," he lied. Well, it wasn't really a lie—compared to other pains he'd experienced, it wasn't that awful. But it did hurt.

She pulled his arm. "Come on. You are going to lie down, and I am going to get this kink out of your back."

He looked up at her with a hint of mock disdain and murmured, "Yes, mum."

Hermione put her hands on her hips and said, "Intolerable man! Why do I even bother?"

Severus stood up and kissed Hermione softly. '_Oh yeah, that's why_,' Hermione thought. When they broke apart, Hermione once again took him by the arm, and dragged him to his bed.

"Lie down," she commanded. He stared at her for a moment, just to prove she didn't have complete control over him, then flopped face down on the bed.

She crawled next to him, sitting cross-legged. Finding the knot again, she began to knead it gently, getting progressively harder. Every so often, his breath would catch when something hurt, but Hermione ignored it, knowing he hated showing weakness.

After a while, Severus could feel the tension relieving somewhat. "Would you…" he began, then cut off, not wanting to request anything.

"What? Would I what?" she prodded.

"My shoulders hurt, too," he said backhandedly.

Hermione smiled, then scooted up the bed a little bit, beginning to rub his shoulders in the same manner. When her hands hurt too much to continue, she patted his back. "Is that better?"

"Immeasurably." He rolled over onto his back—rather nimbly, too—and looked up at Hermione, smiling faintly. He took one of her hands and rubbed it gently with his thumb. His eyelids started to sink, then he closed them. Aware that he would fall asleep if he kept them closed, he opened them again, and sat up.

"Sev, you should rest. You look exhausted," Hermione said with care.

"No, I need to work. Papers to grade," he grumbled.

"I can grade them. What are the papers on?"

"Shrinking Solution, the third years," he told her, then quickly said, "But you will not grade them. If anything, they'd see the handwriting wasn't mine and would ask questions."

She thought for a second, then said, "I can charm the quill so it writes in your handwriting, I'll just have to dictate what it should say."

Severus stared at the girl for a moment, wondering where she managed to fit so much information. He decided she must have a second brain instead of a second kidney, or something, and chuckled at the thought.

"What?" she said with accusation. "Do you think I don't have your wit? '_Have you no ability to comprehend the use of even the simplest ingredients?_'

"Or '_This is so bad I don't have an acerbic enough comment to make._'

"Or, even better, '_You best pursue a career in Astronomy, as you have no grasp on complex ideas… or even clear-cut ideas._'"

She was on a roll. "How about simple remarks, '_Simply dreadful._' '_Ridiculous._' '_Ludicrous._'"

Severus grinned at her in utter amusement. "No, I was merely thinking how _ludicrously_ intelligent you are. When and where did you learn how to use the Repliwrite charm?"

She blushed. "It was in _Handy Charms for the Plagiarizer_. But, I swear, Ron found the book for me, I told him…" she cut off, not wanting to tell her former professor how she'd helped Ron cheat.

"Yes?" he asked with interest.

Quickly, she replied, "I told him if he wanted me to write his papers for him, he better find me a charm that will make it look like he wrote it." She paused, biting her lip. "I didn't really think he'd put any effort into finding something, seeing as how he's so lazy."

"Indeed, he is," Severus replied simply.

"So, I learned it in fourth year, I think. Or fifth."

"Were any of the papers you wrote for my class?" the professor asked curiously.

"No," she said too quickly.

"Mm, that was convincing."

Hermione glared at him. "_Anyway_, do you want me to grade papers for you?"

"If you wish," he said dismissively.

"Will you go to sleep if I do?" she pressed.

Deciding to give an indirect 'yes,' he said, "I suppose exhaustion will succeed at some point."

Hermione rolled her eyes, and stood up, pulling the covers down. She pointed underneath the covers, and raised her eyebrows. He stared at her and said, "Well at least let me take a bath, woman."

"Fine. But don't…" she started, then blushed.

He grinned. "Don't what?"

"Don't fall asleep… in the tub…" she said, face flushing even more.

Severus decided to tease her. "Well, why not? The tub is perfectly comfortable for sleeping."

"Seeeev…" she complained, then made a ridiculously pathetic face, so pathetic, in fact, that he gave in.

"Oh, fine. I won't fall asleep."

"Good. Now off with you."

He slipped off the bed, and took off his robes, hanging them up. Hermione stared at his gaunt body, surprised by how muscular he seemed. Quickly, she looked away, and allowed him to pass by her before she walked to his desk.

There was a mess of papers on it, and Hermione wondered how he knew where to find anything on it. While she began organizing—she could tell the papers that had been graded by the large red letters at the top of each—she heard the water turn on.

To keep herself from thinking about Severus taking a bath, she straightened the papers more quickly, then pulled out her wand. "_Reddo Manus_," she said, and the wand glowed white at the tip. She ran the wand over Severus's scrawl, until she had gotten enough letters and punctuation to make comments. Then she touched the tip of the wand to the tip of the quill, which shook at the pressure, glowed green for an instant, then went back to normal.

"_Leviosa_," she said finally, and the quill positioned itself over the next piece of paper to be graded.

She worked with great concentration, making sure the comments were clever enough without being too over-the-top—it was more work that she'd originally thought. She breathed a sigh of relief when she was done; she was now positive she'd have been a terrible teacher.

Languorously, Hermione looked through the papers, totaling how many of each grade she'd given. "No Os, two Es, six As, seven Ps, and five Ds. Seems, Snape-y enough," she figured.

At that moment, something rather shocking caught her eye. "Severus, what on Earth is wrong with you?" she exclaimed.

He had entered the room wearing naught but a thick black towel around his waist. "Just checking to see how you were doing," he said slyly.

She stared for a moment, observing his wiry frame, thinking his face must have absorbed anything aging, rather than his body. "I'm doing j-just fine," she answered finally, looking down and blushing profusely. "Now if you'll please put something proper on."

He looked down, as if he had just realized he was only wearing a towel. "Oh, forgive me, I completely forgot to put pajamas on," he said mock-apologetically.

Hermione remained quiet, figuring the silent treatment would do better than sputtering. Finally, he retreated into his bedroom, shutting the door. Hermione sighed, and said, "_Aguamenti_," pointing the tip of her wand into her mouth. Water spurted into her mouth, and she took a long sip, tapping her wand when she was satiated.

She laid her head on the desk, closing her eyes. Moments later, she felt a hand on her back. "Hermione?" Severus whispered.

"Mm?" she uttered sleepily.

"I'm… _proper_ now," he announced, slightly mocking her earlier statement. She reached her hand back and slapped him in the chest.

"You're mean. And indecent. Go away."

He took his hand off her back quickly and muttered an apology. She heard him walking to the opposite side of the desk, where he took a seat. After a moment, she felt him staring. "What?" she said cuttingly. "Stop staring."

"Will you at least look at me?" he asked, sounding troubled.

Hermione shifted her head so her chin was resting on the desk. "There, happy?"

"Not particularly, at the moment. What's come over you?"

She raised an eyebrow, as if he shouldn't be so stupid to have to ask. "Why not just use Legilimency on me?"

"Because that, truly, would be indecent." He wondered if that would make her mad, but her face showed no difference. When he realized she wasn't going to say anything, he said, "You know, I was just joking."

Hermione sniffed airily. "Marvelous joke, Severus, really. I think you should parade around half naked more often, that way I can get a laugh."

He jerked a little when she said 'Severus' instead of 'Sev.' Thinking about what she said, he replied, "Really, am I that hideous to look at?"

'_No_,' Hermione thought to herself, '_that's just it_.' "Oh, bollocks," she cried. "I promise we can go back to normal conversation if you promise not to do… that… until… until a very long time from now."

Severus raised an eyebrow at her. "For the sake of conversation, I swear I won't do that," he said, then added quickly, "As long as you tell me I'm not hideous."

"Heavens, no," Hermione declared. "That's not it at all."

"Ok, then. On to… real conversation, hmm?" Hermione nodded, and he continued. "Did you finish grading?"

"Yes. I do hope I don't give myself away."

"I'm sure the words were fine. Let me take a look at the handwriting."

She handed him the stack of papers, which she had purposely shuffled so those he had graded were interspersed with hers. He looked through them discerningly, then finally said, "Well done. I shudder to think how many essays you wrote for Mr. Weasley."

She looked down quickly. "Sorry."

"What's done is done. So long as you didn't somehow help him cheat on his O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s, all is well."

Hermione shook her head quickly, then half-yawned, not wanting to show Severus she was tired. She couldn't hide it much, though, and he said, "You should sleep."

"So should you," she shot back.

The two stared at each other, neither wanting to admit defeat. Hermione sat back in her chair; Severus did the same. Finally, Hermione broke. "This is ridiculous."

He smirked in triumph. "Don't expect any less when we're together."

"I know. But, I'm going to bed." She stood up and automatically noticed something she hadn't before, and burst out laughing. "What _are_ you wearing?"

His face flushed and he scratched his neck. "I knew this was coming," he muttered.

"Are you wearing flannel pajama bottoms?"

"Yes," he said resolutely.

"That's slightly unexpected."

"They're comfortable!"

Hermione looked terribly amused. "Aw, Sev can recognize comfort!"

"Shut up, woman."

"That's not a very nice way to talk to me! Anyway, wherever did you get them?"

Severus sighed. "If I tell you, will you promise you won't laugh?"

"I won't promise, but I'll try my hardest!" she said honestly.

"Well, truth be told, Minerva gave them to me a few years ago for Christmas."

Hermione grinned. "Aw, Sev wears a gift from his colleague!"

"Yes, I do. Like I said, they're comfortable."

"Well, that's utterly adorable. But I will leave you alone, and go get some pajamas on myself."

She started walking, then couldn't remember where her bags were, and stopped. Severus knew what she'd realized and said, "Your bags are over here."

Hermione looked over, and saw the bags on the opposite side of Severus's chair. "I thought you said using Legilimency was indecent!" she exclaimed suddenly.

"Legilimency is not required when actions make your thoughts quite clear," he said plainly. She thought about this, then shrugged; he was very good at reading people. She walked past him, grazing his legs with her fingers, then leaned over to pick up her bags.

"Be right back," she whispered, and walked to the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Searching through her clothes, she found a pair of grey sweats and a large maroon shirt. She closed the suitcase, and walked back out. "You coming to bed?"

Severus looked up, raised an eyebrow at her ensemble, and said, "Yes, I suppose."

He stood up, put the graded papers back on the desk, and walked over to meet Hermione at the door. She put her arm around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her shoulder, and they walked wearily to bed.

Hermione crawled in on the left side, and Severus took the right. "Good night, Sev," Hermione whispered.

"Good night, Hermione," he whispered back, giving her a kiss on the head.

--

for anyone that read this before June 18th, the last couple lines got left off somehow. my apologies!!


	6. my apologies

Huge, huge apologies for never updating this story. I have been writing, but I haven't found a decent place to stop.   
Here's just a little bit to.. whet your appetite. Or something. hahah. More should be posted.. oh.. soon. Mid-next week, at the latest.   
Happy Deathly Hallows reading, as well!!! If you're as excited as I am... man, Lord help you, because I have gone into major dweeb mode with excitement.   
Anyway, here's the small little section: 

---- 

Hermione woke up abruptly, realizing she was in the bed by herself. "Sev? Sev, come back to bed," she murmured, thinking it was early in the morning.

She stumbled out of the bed, and walked to the bathroom. It was empty. She then walked into the main room. It was empty. She sighed and looked at the clock: it was ten in the morning. '_Oh_,' Hermione thought, '_he's probably teaching by now_.'

Deciding she had nothing better to do, she shuffled back over to the bed, and collapsed on it, quickly falling asleep again.

When Severus came in after lunch, he saw her still sleeping, and smiled. He walked over, sat down on the bed, and shook her gently. "Hermione?"


	7. Moving On

I feel really bad that I've never updated this!!!  
So, finally, for all of you who are reading this, here is chapter six.

A couple notes, though, before you start:  
I've changed a concept a bit. After thinking about it, I didn't believe our favourite Potions professor would be so... quick in saying 'I love you.' There are two parts I changed. The first is from chapter three, when Hermione first says "I love you": 

_"Sev?" whispered Hermione._

"Mm?"

"I… I love you." She turned her head to rest her chin on his chest, so she could look at him.

He gazed at her for a moment, then began playing her hair. Hermione took his silence to mean he didn't feel the same way, and she bit her lip. Upon seeing her distraught expression, he looked at her thoughtfully and said, "Hermione, love isn't… isn't something I am accustomed to. I don't know if I've ever felt it, but if I have, it has been with you. When I know, I will say it, but for the present, know that I feel deeply for you."

She nodded and kissed his chest, laying her head back down. 

The second is from a bit later in that chapter, which I just changed so it would be correct with the story:

_"You don't have to say anything, but, I love you, Severus."_

Severus nodded. 

All of that being said, HERE is the next chapter. I hope this makes it worthy of the wait... I think it is the longest chapter I've written.

Enjoy, and review!

* * *

CHAPTER SIX

Hermione woke up abruptly, realizing she was in the bed by herself. "Sev? Sev, come back to bed," she murmured, thinking it was early in the morning.

She stumbled out of the bed, and walked to the bathroom. It was empty. She then walked into the main room. It was empty. She sighed and looked at the clock: it was ten in the morning. '_Oh_,' Hermione thought, '_he's probably teaching by now_.'

Deciding she had nothing better to do, she shuffled back over to the bed, and collapsed on it, quickly falling asleep again.

When Severus came in after lunch, he saw her still sleeping, and smiled. He walked over, sat down on the bed, and shook her gently. "Hermione?"

Nothing. "Hermione," he said a little louder, shaking her a little harder. This time, she jolted awake.

"What is it?" she asked frantically.

"Calm yourself, it's only me," he said, then added, "it's past lunch."

She stared at him with bleary eyes, then blinked. "Why-why didn't you wake me up before you left?"

"Well, obviously, you needed sleep."

"I guess so. How were your morning classes?"

"Decent enough, I suppose. Nothing too disastrous."

Hermione nodded, then slid closer to Severus, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm glad I'm here."

He kissed her temple, then shifted so his legs were on the bed and he was facing her. "Likewise."

She took his hands and said, "I'm kind of hungry."

"You haven't eaten in quite some time, have you?"

Hermione thought about it, and realized the last thing she'd eaten was cereal, before she'd stormed out on Ron. "I haven't eaten in a day. And I think that just made me more hungry."

"What would you like?"

"Anything," she said, then added quickly, "As long as it tastes good."

"I'll call a house elf to bring you some food."

Hermione sighed, "Ok." She had long ago given up her attempt to convince the house elves they could and should be free.

Severus squeezed her hands and got up. He walked to his fireplace, and kneeled down, throwing in some Floo powder. "Kitchens!" he yelled, and his head was taken there.

A house elf named Moddly scampered over and said, "Yes, Master Snape, how may I assist you?"

"Can you send up any leftovers to my quarters?"

"Yes, Master Snape, right away," the green creature said, and scurried back off.

Severus stood back up, shaking his head slightly. He began to walk back to the bedroom, but Hermione was already at the door. "I figure I should eat at a table," she explained.

"Wherever you would prefer. The bed is more comfortable, though."

She pondered on this for a moment, then walked back into the bedroom, crawling under the covers. He shook his head at her and she smiled widely at him. He decided to close the door before the house elf got there, so his secret wouldn't be leaked.

A moment later, a little pink house elf appeared. "Master Snape, your food is ready."

Severus looked around the room, and found basically every flat service covered with platters of food. "Thank you, that will do."

The elf nodded and popped out of sight. Once Severus was sure she was gone, he opened the bedroom door back up. Hermione looked out, eyes widening when she saw all the food.

"I suppose they took me saying 'any leftovers' very literally," he said. Hermione giggled, and he resumed by saying, "What would you like to start with?"

"Anything but dessert?"

Severus looked around, and grabbed a plate with roast chicken and a roll, another of steak and kidney pudding, and yet another of mashed potatoes. He carried them in, conjured a mock-table for Hermione, and set the plates on it.

She stared at it, trying to figure out what to start with, and settled on the steak and kidney pudding. Severus looked fairly disgusted watching Hermione shoveling the food into her mouth. When she noticed, she swallowed and said, "If you find this repulsive, don't look. I'm starving."

"Obviously…" he muttered. After a few minutes, he realized she wasn't going to talk while there was any food in front of her, so he went to his desk to grade papers.

"Sev?" she called after a while, mouth filled with mashed potatoes.

"What?"

"Can you bring me some more food?"

He sighed so loudly she could hear it from the bed. "I suppose." He looked around, grabbed some Yorkshire pudding, roast beef, and a Cornish pasty, and brought it to Hermione's table.

Without a word of thanks, she started eating the Yorkshire pudding and roast beef. Severus stood there for a moment, expecting her to realize she'd said practically nothing to him in the last fifteen minutes.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"I should ask the same of you," he retorted.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so hungry."

The corner of his mouth twitched and he walked back to his desk. In another ten minutes, Hermione called again, "Sev?"

"How can you possibly have room for more food?"

"I just want some dessert. Is there any trifle? Or treacle tart?"

"There are both," he said dejectedly.

"Well, bring them both in, and come sit next to me," she replied, then added, "please."

He came in and set the desserts down in front of Hermione, then slumped down beside her. She conjured another spoon and handed him one. "Have some trifle," she suggested, pushing the dish over to him.

Severus stared at the mass of confectioneries, not daring to touch it.

"No?" Hermione said. "How about some treacle tart?"

He poked at the pastry, and took a bite.

"Good?" Hermione asked between bites of trifle.

"Acceptable," he said casually, taking another bite. He didn't finish it, nor did Hermione expect him to, so she inhaled the rest. Severus whispered a vanishing spell, and the plates, table, and silverware promptly disappeared.

Hermione stared up at Severus, a warm feeling entering the pit of her stomach. Suddenly, she flung her arms around his chest, scooting closer to him.

He looked down at her, one eyebrow raised. "And to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"To your extraordinary self," she replied, kissing his chest, slowly moving up his neck, until their faces were centimeters apart. He ran his fingers through her hair, staring into her shimmering hazel brown eyes. He closed the distance between them, kissing her feverishly. Wrapping his arms around her lower back, he pulled her closer, so she was curled up next to him, hands resting delicately on his chest.

She moved her hands slowly around to his back, pulling herself deeper into the kiss. His hands found their way under Hermione's large t-shirt, but she drew back.

"Sev," she breathed, and shook her head.

His arms dropped to his sides, and he sank into the bed, not looking at Hermione's face. She laid her hand on his cheek, pulling him to face her, then kissed him gently. "I can't."

Severus's lips pursed and he nodded. He wouldn't apologise, so he simply said, "I have a class to teach in ten minutes. If you would like to read, there are plenty of books. Though I can't imagine you'll be hungry anytime soon, there is still food around the study. If you must leave, be careful to cast an invisibility charm as well as a detection charm, so you can move before anyone runs into you."

Hermione nodded. "Sev?"

"Yes?"

"I love you so much."

He nodded and kissed her on the forehead. "I'll see you tonight."

"Ok. I think I might go to my parents' house and tell them about Ron. So, don't worry about food for me, I'll eat there."

"That sounds sensible," he replied.

Hermione chuckled and kissed him. He deepened the kiss, resting his hand on her cheek. Before they lost track of time, Hermione gently pulled off and kissed his cheek. "You should go."

She saw him smirk slightly as he rolled off the bed, gliding swiftly to the main room, throwing on his oversized robes, and leaving without a word.

Yawning, she rolled out of the bed, and rummaged around for some Muggle clothes. Since it was cold, she pulled on a pair of jeans, a long sleeve Yale t-shirt, a light jacket, and then her black pea coat.

As Severus had instructed, she cast invisibility and detection charms, causing her to jump when she passed a mirror. Sighing deeply, she chuckled, and walked out of the room.

Most students were in class, so it wasn't hard to navigate. At one point, though, Peeves was approaching rapidly with a bucket of water to dump on an unsuspecting victim. Thankfully, Hermione _was_ suspecting—there was a ringing noise in her head, and she dodged the poltergeist just in time, leaping out of the castle.

At that moment, Rubeus Hagrid was walking in, causing another sound to go off in the poor witch's head. She did a pirouette and landed on the ground with a thud. The half-giant looked around, mumbling, "Summat there?" He saw nothing, of course, and walked inside, shrugging.

Hermione sighed in relief, and got back up, continuing her walk out of Hogwarts. She reached the edge of the grounds with no further ordeals. Casting "Finite Incantatem," she looked down to find herself visible once again.

Standing up straight, and focusing on the spot she usually went to when visiting her parents, she Disapparated. She reached the vacant lot easily, and walked the few miles to the house, enjoying the cool, crisp air.

When she reached the house, she took a deep breath, and rung the doorbell.

Her mother answered it, as she expected. But then something she hadn't expected came next: a tall, gangly redhead came into view. She inhaled his name sharply.

He glowered her and questioned, "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you!" she spat back, the rage from their last encounter bubbling up again.

"Hermione! Ron!" her mother cut in. "Calm down, and have a seat." Her voice was strict; it was obvious where Hermione's bossiness came from.

The pair did as they were told, taking seats completely opposite from each other.

"Before either of you start flying off the handle again, let me say a few things. Hermione, it's great to see you. Ron just came to tell me about your," she cleared her throat for emphasis, "argument. Ron, I know you're angry at Hermione for what she said, but let's be civil and not kill each other."

Hermione fumed. '_I_ made _him_ angry? He was no right!' she thought in a huff.

"Hermione, dear," the older woman continued, "Ron tells me you yelled at him and left two days ago. Was that such an appropriate thing to do?"

"Yes!" Hermione practically roared.

This seemed to confuse her mother and infuriate Ron further. It was his turn to butt in. "What have I ever done to deserve this? I've done nothing!"

"EXACTLY!" Her temper flared violently. "You have done _nothing_. You nearly forget our anniversary, _always_ miss my birthday. I was tired of it. I had to leave or I would have regretted it forever." She was proud of herself for speaking the truth without a mention of Severus.

Lynette cut back in, now facing Ron with a look of disdain that rarely crossed her features. "You forgot her birthday?"

He mumbled something about having a bad memory, but Lynette wouldn't hear it. "If you'll excuse me a moment," she said, and walked away stiffly.

Ron and Hermione were left alone, neither of them saying a word. She looked rather smug while he looked almost crestfallen. After what felt like hours of silence, Ron murmured something.

"What was that?" Hermione asked.

"I'm sorry..." he said, a little louder.

This did nothing to soften Hermione's tongue and she shot back, "You very well should be!"

He took a deep breath, forging on. "I was being a terrible git, and there's not excuse. I'd very much like if... I'd like to ask for your forgiveness."

Hermione stared at him. "I don't know if I can," she replied honestly. "You've never said a word of apology until now. Why have you changed all of a sudden? I know you haven't had some enormous change of heart in the last two days, and don't try to convince me you did. Two days doesn't change two years."

He looked at her sadly. "I suppose not."

Hermione got up and walked away. Over her shoulder, she called, "I thought not."

Ron was left alone in the living room; Hermione went t o talk to her mother. Lynette was in her room, sitting up against the headboard. She stared into space, not noticing her daughter walk in.

"Mum," Hermione said, sinking onto the bed, touching her mother's shoulder lightly.

Lynette's hazel brown eyes met their match, then she blinked slowly.

"Hermione...I had no idea."

The girl nodded. "I thought he'd grow out of it. I'd had enough of it, though, after a while. So I just left."

"Do you intend to... to get a divorce?"

Hermione nodded slowly. "I can't live with him anymore."

Lynette returned the nod. "Where are you staying?"

Hermione's brain went into a moment of panic, but her face remained passive as she replied, "At Hogsmeade, at The Three Broomsticks." Inwardly, she worried about how well she was able to lie.

"Oh, dear, do you have the money for that? You should stay here."

Hermione bit her lip. If she said no, her parents might get suspicious. If she said yes, she'd have to leave Severus. But then, she reasoned, she'd be able to find an apartment closer to work, and visit Severus on the weekends. It might be better for their safety, anyway.

"Is it ok if I think about it? I've been catching up with some old professors at the school." It wasn't a complete lie, really.

"Of course. Just let us know when you plan to come, and we'll be ready for you."

Hermione hugged her mother. "Thank you."

Lynette nodded. "Are you staying for dinner?"

"If you don't mind."

"Not at all. Your father probably won't be home until later, though. He had to go into the office to day for some specialty case."

Hermione smiled at her mother. "Makes you glad you didn't decide to specialise, I bet."

"Yes," she confided. "But, we best be making some dinner."

Hermione nodded. "What are we making?"

"What would you like?"

"Hm," she pondered. After the feast she'd had earlier, it felt weird to have to choose one thing. "How about some roast pork?"

"Sounds great. Would you like to help?"

"Of course," Hermione said, fingering the wand in her pocket. "I'm going to talk to Ron for a minute, though."

Lynette nodded. "I'll set out what we need."

They walked downstairs together, then went their separate ways. Hermione approached Ron, and he looked up at her forlornly.

"I suppose you want me to leave," he said dejectedly.

"Well, I mean, if you want to stay..." she offered dispassionately.

He shook his head and stood. "So, it's over, then?"

She nodded slightly. Ron went on, "If you'd rather not see me, you can stop by the house this Saturday to gather your things. I'll be at a Quidditch match."

"Ok," she choked. As he left, she drew him into a hug. "I'm sorry."

He patted her back. "Don't be."

She pulled back and smiled at him. "I do hope we can remain friends."

He tipped his head in agreement, then sauntered out the front door. With a pop, he was gone. Hermione sighed and walked into the kitchen.

Lynette watched her daughter walk into the kitchen, noting the slightly dismayed expression. "What did you talk to him about?"

"Oh, just... I'm going to get my stuff Saturday, he'll be out. And that I hope we can remain friends."

"I think you're better off as friends anyway."

Hermione nodded. "Now, how about some food?"

Lynette smiled and nodded. They set to work, mother working on the meat and daughter working on the sides; magically, of course. When they had everything cooking and simmering, they sat down in the living room.

While they worked, Hermione's mother eyed her curiously, seeing how she'd changed over time. She was sad to see how tired Hermione looked—the girl was just barely twenty-four. Maybe leaving Ron will help, she thought, though she believed Hermione should have a man in her life. Cautiously, she asked, "Are you going to, uh, date? After a while?"

Hermione tensed up, and Lynette quickly said, "Of course, you don't have to!"

The girl didn't know what to say. She felt like she should tell her mother about Severus, but, not so soon. "I was thinking about it," she answered reasonably. "I do believe I might, should someone... catch my fancy."

She blushed slightly, thinking, '_Who would have guessed the bat of the dungeons would catch my fancy?_'

Her mother didn't notice the blush, and simply replied, "Good."

Hermione glanced over at a large wall clock. "Hey, mum, you know what I haven't done in a while?"

"What's that?"

"Watched Mastermind!"

Her mother grinned; this had been Hermione's favourite show growing up, and they watched it whenever they got the chance. She grabbed the remote, and turned the television to the right channel.

They spent the next half hour answering—usually incorrectly—the questions asked. They kept score and, as usual, Hermione won.

When it ended, Lynette exclaimed, "Honestly, where do you fit all that information?"

"In my enormous know-it-all brain," she replied honestly, smirking as she thought how Severus could have used those same words to insult her.

"Sponge brain!" Lynette accused jokingly.

Hermione bowed her head. "Touché."

At that, a timer went off in the kitchen, and the women headed back inside to finish up. They enjoyed their meal, taking time to taste it as they caught up with each other.

Lynette had explained what Hermione's father was working on—a root canal and a bridge on a middle-aged woman—and Hermione tried to explain what it was that she did as an Auror.

They considered the night a success when Lynette almost slightly understood what Hermione was talking about. Soon, though, Hermione said she better get going, it was getting late. They hugged and Lynette said, "It was great to see you, dear. And again, please let us know if you want to stay here for a while, ok?"

"I will," Hermione promised. "It was great to see you too. I'll be in touch with you soon, either way. Which, by the way, will be in the fireplace, if you don't care?"

Lynette chuckled, "I suppose not."

"Ok."

Lynette smiled and released her daughter. "Travel safe?" she said questioningly.

Hermione laughed. "I will," she reassured, and went out the door almost reluctantly. With a pop, she was at the edge of Hogwarts' grounds. Once again, she cast invisibility and detection charms, then began to walk.

It was a nice night, so she took her time getting to the school. Since it was so late, there wasn't much activity in the hallways—none detectable, at least. As she walked down to the dungeons, she pulled her coat tighter around her slight figure. When she reached the blank wall that hid Severus's door, she whispered 'kitten,' and walked in.

She heard the legs of a chair scrape and heavy footsteps. "Who is there?" came his deep, deep voice.

"Hello," Hermione said in a squeaky, high pitched voice, intending to play with him, "This is Matilda Hopkins from the Claims Office of Improper Identification."

She was making everything up as she went, not really knowing what she was talking about. "We received a claim from you that someone by the name of Hermione Granger called you 'extraordinary,' and you felt this was an uncalled for statement of your otherwise cruel and git-like character."

He was silent for a while before pulling out his wand, pointing it in the general direction of her voice, and saying, rather lazily, "Finite Incantatem."

Hermione's figure came into view and Severus stared at her with amusement. She looked slightly defeated, and he smirked.

"You knew it was me..." she said dejectedly.

"Your voice sounded no different," he said, but he didn't exactly mean it cruelly.

She sighed and walked up to him, giving him a hug. He blinked and looked down at her, wrapping his arms around her.

"How was your day?" she asked into his chest.

He considered the question, then answered, "Could have been worse. How was yours?"

"Ron was at my parents' house," she replied.

He pushed her back to look at her and asked, "What the hell was he doing there?"

"Obviously, he was trying to get to my parents before I did, trying to put his own spin on the story. He must've done a pretty marvelous job at it, too, because my mum was trying to make me apologise and everything."

Severus's teeth clenched, holding back a biting remark. "What did you say?"

"I told her my side of the story. After that, he looked sort of defeated, and left a little while after. Oh, my mum is wanting me to stay with them, and I don't know how I can tell them no without talking about you."

He stared at her, sorting out everything she'd just said so very quickly, and finally saying, "Well, good, that he realised he was wrong. And, that is... fine with me, if you stay with your parents. It would probably be the safer option, anyway."

Hermione smiled. "Thanks for understanding. Oh, and, I asked Ron if we could, erm, remain friends. I'd feel sort of weird never talking to him again..."

Again, the black eyes bore into her hazel. "Yes. And you won't be living with him, so if he's acting ridiculous, you can just leave."

"Did you have a good day or something?"

"What?"

"You're... different. What happened today?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary," he said, deflecting the point of her question. She stared at him intensely.

"First, you don't get angry or try to convince me to stay here when I say my parents want me to live with them for a while. Then, you don't tell me I'm an idiot for wanting to stay friends with Ron. What next? Are you going to say Harry Potter is your favourite person, and you were really just kidding us this entire time?"

"I am merely... trying to... be nice," he said lamely.

"And since when do you do that?" she accused. It came out much harsher than she meant it to, and he winced slightly. "Sorry, I didn't mean it that way!"

The corner of his lip twitched in annoyance and he pulled away, returning to his seat to grade more papers.

"Sev, I'm sorry," she pleaded. He pretended not to hear her, and she sighed. "I'm going to go take a shower."

She quickly walked away from him, not wanting to bother him with her presence. After turning the water on to the perfect temperature, she took a long shower that eased the tension in her back. When the water got cold, she turned off the water and wrapped a towel around herself.

Rummaging through her suitcase, she found some flannel pajamas, putting them on and relishing in the warmth. She walked back into the main room cautiously, calling, "Sev?"

He looked up at her and quirked an eyebrow. She took this to mean he didn't hate her, and walked in, pulling a chair beside him. When he didn't say anything, she whispered, "I really didn't mean what I said."

"It is ok," he said softly. "I..."

"What?" Hermione goaded.

He took a deep breath, as if he were about to say something very important. "I am always... aware of what people think of me. But, for some reason, it has never really bothered me. When I think about it, it does bother me. I've become this... emotionless person, someone viewed as physically and emotionally unclean. I don't want to be that person to you... but it's difficult, obviously, to become a... nice person... without you suspecting something."

Hermione's eyes were wide with emotion as she said, "Oh, Sev. You don't have to become anything for me. Sure, sometimes you can be a bit overbearing, but I can, too. We work together, for whatever reason, and if you start trying to change who you are, we might not work anymore."

His face looked sad as she spoke, though it was sort of a hopeful sadness, as if he was trying to gauge how truthful she was being. He couldn't really think of anything to say in response, so he leaned over and kissed her.

She leaned into him, scooting her chair closer. His hands wandered around to her back and he ran his nails over it, causing Hermione to shudder slightly. He pulled her off her chair and into his lap with one quick movement.

Hermione moved back, pulling him with her, until they were standing. She gently moved him back against the wall, standing on her toes as she pressed against him.

"Hermione," the man said breathlessly. "If... if you..."

He looked distressed, and the girl looked at him with concern. "What is it?"

"If you don't want to go too far... you can't..." he warned.

She understood and responded, "Ok... I-I understand."

She bit her lip, a million thoughts racing through her head. _'Oh, just go on and do it. No, no, you've barely been with him. You're getting a divorce. You're still married. You know you want it. But you don't need it.'_ She felt like she'd explode.

He kissed her on the forehead. "It's ok," he said. "I understand, too."

Her face broke into a huge smile. "Thank you. It's not that I... I mean... I love you, but..."

Severus pressed a finger to her lips. "I said I understand. You don't have to defend yourself."

"I love you. So much."

He paused, and for a moment, Hermione thought he might actually say it back. But instead, he replied with the usual, "I know."

Hermione squeezed his hand and said, "I think I'm going to contact my parents tomorrow, tell them I'll move in... Sunday, probably. I'm getting my stuff from the house on Saturday."

Severus nodded. "That sounds... reasonable," he responded, then murmured something like, "I'll miss you, though..."

"What was that? You'll miss me?" Hermione questioned, raising an eyebrow.

He looked around, trying to find something to distract her. Finding nothing, he said, "I have grown used to your presence."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm going to bed."

He felt a slight bit of relief that she didn't mock him, and nodded. "I'll be there... eventually..."

"Do you still have to do hallway patrol?"

"Yes," he grumbled. Usually he liked stalking the hallways, finding comfort in the emptiness of midnight, but now that he had something—someone, rather—to be with in his quarters, he was almost unhappy to stay away.

She squeezed his arm in comfort. "I can wait up for you, if you want to talk, or something."

"No, you should rest. I have survived this long without needing someone to wait for me, I think I will be fine."

Hermione nodded slightly, and kissed him briefly on the cheek. He almost smiled in response, then, quickly, grabbed his cloak, threw it around him, and was gone.

The girl watched the door for a moment, then walked into the bedroom, climbing under the warm covers. She fell asleep instantly.

* * *

:D That is all! Apologies for parts where it doesn't flow well... I haven't gone back over it yet (I really need to start doing that), but I felt like getting the section up. 


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